Gifts of Tragedy
by NaruHinaInfinity
Summary: The Hyuugas have all but perished, leaving behind Hinata. What happens when her crush takes her in? What does she learn about him? Does it change anything she feels?
1. New Home

"Breaking news! The Hyuuga Clan has been found massacred! Only one other body was found, presumably the murderer. He committed suicide after completing the killings. No further detail from the ANBU at this time."

* * *

"_Oh man…Hinata_." Naruto had heard the report and was quickly looking for his friend. "_This is taking too long." _Transforming into his demon state, he quickly headed to the next likely spot. Suddenly, he caught a familiar scent leading into a small alley. Changing back, he walked closer. He started to hear a faint sound. As he came closer he realized someone was crying. Uncertain, he turned into the alley. He instantly recognized the violet hair and large jacket.

Sitting against the wall was Hinata, shoulders shaking as she cried. Her hands were leaking tears, her quiet voice shaking with sobs. Her sleeves and pants carried dark water marks. "Hinata...?" No response. "Hinata… ar-are you okay?" Again no response. She continued to ignore him even as he knelt next to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he waited for his friend to react. Almost instantly, she looked up. "Wh-"she stopped, seeing her friend's face. "_That sad face… He must know…"_ thought Hinata. For indeed, Naruto's face was one of sadness and much concern. Feeling the grief building once more, she again started to cry. "Hinata…" whispered Naruto as he took her in his arms.

* * *

When he saw Hinata had cried herself to sleep, he carried her to his home. Ignoring the stares he received, he arrived, having not spoken a word. Placing his friend on his bed, he cleaned the apartment to distract himself from what had happened. After he finished that, finding nothing else to work on, he sat in his room to watch Hinata.


	2. Moving

AN: I don't own Naruto or anything in it. If I did, my story would have a high chance of actually happening.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Hinata slowly focused on her unfamiliar surroundings. Without moving, she scanned the room, her gaze settling on a familiar blond staring at his desk. "_Oh my gosh…I'm in Naruto's room_," she realized. She closed her eyes, blushing. She didn't see Naruto glance over, then look again as he noticed her blush.

"Hinata…are you awake?" he whispered. Nodding, she opened her eyes.

"N-Naruto? Wh-what happened?" she wondered.

"Well…I went looking for you after…" he paused.

"I found you in an alley, crying. I tried to talk to you but I guess you were too upset. So I stayed with you until you cried yourself to sleep," he murmured. "Then I carried you here." Hearing this caused Hinata's blush to return.

"_He actually held me in his arms!_" she thought. Again focusing on Naruto, she noticed he was slightly trembling. A flicker of color drew her gaze to his face. "_Did his eyes just turn red?_" she thought.

"Naruto…are you alright?" she spoke aloud.

Blinking, he looked at her. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"N-no reason," she murmured. She became silent, glancing at her friend every so often. Suddenly, she remembered what happened to her clan, carrying her straight to tears. Covering her face, she rolled over on the bed to face the wall.

She felt Naruto sit next to her on the bed. She didn't resist when he gathered her in his arms again. When she quieted down, Naruto asked softly, "Hinata…would you like to stay with me for awhile?"

Nodding, she said, "Thank you, Naruto-kun…" At that, Naruto blushed slightly. She failed to notice him wincing in pain from his seal, as she laid her head on his shoulder. Then there was something tapping the window.

* * *

"Huh?" Naruto turned to his window. "Sakura?" asked the boy. Reaching over, he unlocked his window. "What's the matter, Sakura?"

Putting her head through the window she replied, "Haven't you heard? No one has been able to find Hinata and-" she broke off, finally seeing the Hyuuga girl in Naruto's arms. "She's been here the whole time?" Sakura asked softly.

"Well she's been here since about nine last night," he said. "I was going to go out and get her belongings."

Puzzled, Sakura asked, "Why?"

"Well she accepted my offer to let her stay here awhile," he answered.

"Wow Naruto…that was really nice. Don't bother to get her stuff; I'll get the others to help. You stay here with Hinata."

"Alright."

With that she was gone, allowing Naruto to return his attention to Hinata. Realization struck him. "Hinata?"

"Yes?"

"You realize you might be better off staying here permanently, right?"

"Well yes…But I would actually prefer that."

Although he didn't realize it, Naruto was already developing feelings for Hinata.

* * *

**Several hours later…**

"_**THUNK!**_"

After letting her rest for awhile, Naruto answered the door. There was the sound of metal on wood, then Naruto came in with a bag and notes attached to a kunai. Accepting them from him, Hinata checked the top one, which said,

"The contents of this bag are the property of Hinata Hyuuga, heiress of the clan Hyuuga. If this bag is stolen, the thief responsible will be caught and punished.

Hatake Kakashi, Aburame Shino, ANBU Black Ops"

Shino's name wasn't too much of a surprise, but Naruto's sensei and the ANBU definitely were. The second read,

"Hinata,

This bag contains all the monetary assets of the Hyuuga clan. They have been entrusted to you to use as you wish

Kurenai, Sakura, Ino, Shino, Kiba, Lee, Tenten, Choji, Shikamaru, Iruka, Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune"

"Hinata? Take a look at this." Heading to the door with Naruto, she stopped at what she saw. Outside the door were all of Hinata's belongings, with signs to warn off thieves. "Well… I guess we better start moving you in, Hinata!" laughed Naruto. She giggled softly at his contagious excitement and humor.


	3. That voice

AN: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Well, that's all of it," laughed Naruto.

"_Wow. I can't believe how fast he got that done," _thought Hinata.

"Hey Hinata. I need to head to town to get some things."

"Oh okay… I'll just wait here and-"

"No way! I'm not gonna leave you here alone! Come on!"

With a small smile, she said, "Okay," and left with him.

* * *

As they walked, Hinata couldn't believe what was happening.

"_It's getting easier to talk to him._" Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking to her left, she found Naruto smiling at her. She smiled back shyly, then when he looked away, she did something that surprised both of them: she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Looking away again, she smiled nervously and blushed a heavy pink. Naruto, momentarily stunned, also began to blush, and looked at her in a mix of confusion and surprise.

"Hinata-chan…" he whispered.

* * *

After returning home, Naruto did some short exercises and fell asleep on Hinata's large bed. She left him alone, but eventually she had to see what he looked like asleep. Quietly she opened the door. She saw that he had on, instead of a shirt, an open jacket. She stood there, looking at him, until something appeared on his stomach. "_It looks like a seal of some sort,_" she guessed as she stared at it. Unable to stop herself, she reached out to touch it. Before she could, it began to glow with orange chakra, provoking a small gasp from Hinata. Rapidly, two eyes that she knew weren't human materialized in the air. As they focused on her, she became very afraid and started to tremble. A voice spoke, a low, rumbling sound. **"Ah, so you are the Hyuuga girl, Hinata… I can understand now why he feels the way he does about you."**

"Wh-what are you talking about? Who are you…"

The voiced only laughed, and the eyes faded away.

"**Farewell…"** she heard faintly. **"For now."**

Free from that gaze at last, Hinata fell to her knees. The sound caused Naruto to wake and groan sleepily. When he saw her, he immediately snapped completely awake.

"Hinata-chan are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"N-Naruto…"

"Yes?"

"There was something here…a frightening voice and floating eyes…those eyes, they…they weren't human…"

When Naruto didn't respond, she looked and saw that a solemn look had come over him.

"Naruto-kun?"

Slowly, he looked up, placing a hand on his seal.

"Hinata-chan, can we talk about this later?"

"O-oh, of-of course, Naruto-kun."


	4. Secret Curse

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

Over a cooked dinner, courtesy of Hinata, she decided to try and get some answers.

"Naruto-kun? About what I saw in your room…"

"…What do you know about the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

"Only that it attacked Konohagakure…18 years ago now, and that the Fourth Hokage defeated it. Why?"

Naruto sighed. "Well the Hokage did defeat the Kyuubi, but-Wha-?" The cause of his being startled was a knocking on the door. Still watching Naruto, she saw his eyes change as he jumped and turned to the door.

"_His eyes _are _red… I _didn't _imagine it before," _she realized. _"What's going on?"_

She watched as he got up and went to the door. Standing outside were three very large and dangerous-looking men.

"We're here for the girl. So why don't you step aside and let us take what we want."

Still watching Naruto, she let out a small gasp as he suddenly grew claws. Clenching his hands into fists, he looked back and saw that Hinata was frightened and confused.

Looking at the three, he said, "I don't think so."

Again Hinata gasped as Naruto spoke with a mix of his usual voice and that disembodied voice from before.

"Well I guess we'll just have to take care of you fir-oof!"

Instantly, Naruto's arm had extended, his fist having planted itself in the right man's gut. Lashing out with a blindingly fast jump kick, he sent the left man over the balcony. Before the remaining man could react, Naruto used a simple but unbelievably powerful two palm thrust on his chest, causing him to go flying. Picking up the first man he hit, he spun once and hurled him into the night.

Breathing heavily for some reason, he turned to Hinata, who could now see exactly how much he had changed. His whisker marks had thickened; he had grown fangs, but his _eyes_ were what frightened her the most. His eyes had become a deeper red, blood red when she thought about it. His pupils had become thin slits, with an evil cast. Now she was truly frightened.

"N-Na-Naruto? Wh-wha-what's happened to y-y-you?" she stuttered in a small voice.

Answering in that mixed voice, he said, "Hinata, don't be afraid. This is what I-I-"

Suddenly, he fell to his hands and knees, his face contorted, as if fighting something. Slowly, Hinata got up and made her way to him. Sitting on her knees, she turned him onto his back and placed his head in her lap. Unsure of what to do, she simply watched his face, taking no notice of the tears that escaped her eyes. Naruto seemed to become calm as a few of her tears hit his face, as he slowly opened his still-red eyes. Breathing slowly, his eyes didn't flicker, but began to change to blue again. The other transformations began to disappear at the same speed as his eyes. Closing them again, it seemed he had fallen asleep. Doing her best not to wake him, she carried him to his room he readily shared with her, and as softly as she could, deposited him on her bed. Remembering what he did for her the first night she was here, Hinata decided to wait with him. Grabbing her pillow and sitting down, she hugged her knees and thought about what she had witnessed.

"_Naruto-kun, he tried to say something before he collapsed. What was it? 'This is what I-?' What? This is what I what? ...Hmm. There are too many answers for me to figure this out…I guess I'll just have to ask him._"

Faintly, she heard something. Focusing on the sleeping Naruto, she listened.

"…overgrown fur ball, I'll…if you ever…that again…hear me?"

Hinata was becoming concerned. Going over, she checked his pulse and eyes. Satisfied he would be out a while, she pulled up her hood and headed to the library to find something.

* * *

When she got back, Hinata had found what she was looking for: a Mind Fuse Jutsu. Writing down the instructions, she ran back to the apartment. Soon, Naruto had regained his senses.

Hinata built up the nerve to ask, "Naruto-kun, what happened to you at dinner last night?"

"Like I was going to say, the Fourth Hokage did defeat the Kyuubi, but…only by sealing it in a newborn."

Realization was slowly coming to Hinata.

"That newborn…was me," he said, gazing at her.

The light of fear was coming to her eyes, but it didn't come completely.

Looking to the floor, she whispered, "While you were asleep, I went out and found something…A Mind Fuse Jutsu. Naruto-kun, I was wondering if…if I could see the Kyuubi."

"Why would you want to see the Kyuubi?" he replied softly.

"P-pl-please, Naruto-kun. I don't know why, but…but this is something I need to do."

Knowing she meant it, Naruto agreed.

Kneeling by a window facing each other, Hinata performed the necessary hand signs. Slowly, she put her hands on his temples, closing her eyes. Neither one knew they were being watched.

* * *

In a mental plane of existence, Hinata looked around. Spotting Naruto, she went over to him. As she got there, an image appeared in the air. As she watched, it began to play, making her realize, "_These are Naruto's childhood memories…_" Faintly, she felt something touch her right arm. Defocusing, she saw that Naruto had grabbed her wrist and was moving it towards his exposed stomach. As her hand made contact, the seal glowed, and Hinata's mental presence was transported to a large room. The overhead pipes were exposed, and there was a dripping sound. A wavering blur caught her eye. The Blur changed into Naruto.

"Where are we?" she asked aloud.

He replied with, "Hinata, are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded. Sighing, he turned and walked away, gesturing for her to follow. As she walked, she realized there was water on the floor, coming up to her ankles. Catching up with Naruto, they walked in silence. Soon they reached an almost floor-to-ceiling double door, consisting of bars in the middle. In between the halves hung a piece of paper with the kanji symbol for "seal". Hinata started as the voice from before began to speak.

"**So…you come willingly here…"**

The fear Hinata was beginning to feel manifested itself in the real world by her eyes squeezing tight, and biting her lip. In the mental plane, she moved closer to Naruto, gripping his arm tightly. Then the eyes from before appeared, watching Naruto at first, then spotting Hinata.

After a moment the voice spoke, saying, "**Very clever girl, using a mind fuse jutsu to get here.**"

The voice laughed. "**I told you we would meet again, didn't I? You just made it sooner rather than later."**

After watching her in silence again, the voice returned.

"**You want to see if I really am the Nine-tailed Fox. Don't deny it, I can read your thoughts…Boy! How about some light for your delicious looking friend?**"

Silently, glaring, Naruto produced a ball of light, illuminating the cage.

Inside was an enormous fox, covered in red fur, possessed of nine whip-like tails. Looking to its face, Hinata saw it was grinning evilly at them, or maybe just her. Slowly, it licked it lips, causing the physical Hinata to gasp and start crying. The voice began to chuckle, and then laugh. The fox threw back its head and added a physical laugh that was markedly different from the mental one. Abruptly, Naruto cut off the light he had produced, causing the real Hinata to jerk back, breaking the contact and the jutsu. Tears still flowing, she slowly opened her eyes to gaze at Naruto, who looked back at her sadly. Inhaling sharply, she could only say, "Naruto…" and that only shakily and barely above a whisper. She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. Naruto slowly reached up to hug her back with one hand, while the other stroked Hinata's hair.

* * *

The observer outside was Sakura, who had come to check on them. What she saw made her wonder. "_What did he do to her? And why did she have her hands on his head and stomach? Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." _She knocked on the window. When Naruto looked, she stopped in surprise. "_Why does _he _look so sad? What's going on?_"

* * *

He was stroking Hinata's hair when he heard a knock on the window. Naruto slowly looked towards it. He recognized the pink hair immediately. Sakura stopped knocking when he looked, an expression of surprise on her face. Waving an arm, he sent a small amount of wind chakra to unlock and open the window, allowing him to refocus on Hinata. He felt Sakura land on the floor and come running to them. She knelt and spoke to him.

"Naruto, what happened? What did you do to Hinata?" That last was said with more than a hint of anger.

"Not now, Sakura…" he murmured.

"N-no, Naruto-kun…she can know…" spoke a still-crying Hinata. Turning to Sakura, he asked, "Have you ever noticed me change, or that an unusual intent could be felt? Like when we fought Zabuza and Haku?"

"Yeah...there was something different when Sasu -when he went down. Why?"

"Well there's a reason for that," he said.

He turned to Hinata, put some space between them, took her chin in his hand and lifted her face, asking an unspoken question. Hinata nodded numbly, and turned to Sakura. Doing a different series of hand signs, she put her hands to Sakura's head. When she was done, she put her hands in her lap and lowered her eyes. The only change in Sakura was her breathing and her eyes, which were completely open in shock and fear, while her pupils were tiny black dots. When she turned to look at Naruto, he could tell she was completely terrified.

He reached a hand to her, whispering, "Sakura…"

She responded by backing away with a short scream, throwing a kunai that sliced across the back of his hand. He flinched, pulling his hand back and taking it in his left. Sakura leapt out the window, leaving a still Hinata and Naruto behind.

* * *

Sighing, the blond said dejectedly, "I should have expected that."

Regaining a measure of composure, Hinata moved to Naruto's side. Laying her head on his shoulder, she tried to comfort him.

"Her reaction is understandable. But it was severe enough to make me think that I might have transferred too much of the fear I felt seeing the Kyuubi to her," she told him softly.

"_Even if I did transfer too much emotion, her reaction seemed too much, even considering the fear the knowledge of what the Kyuubi did and the fear the Kyuubi itself instills in a person..."_ she thought to herself. Hinata came back to reality when Naruto spoke.

In just a murmur, then a whisper, he said, "Thank you…Hinata-hime…"

Stunned, she looked up at him, to find him crying despite his sad but composed face. He turned to look at her, then in a moment she would lovingly recall until her dying day,

He kissed her.

Not on her cheek, her nose, nor her forehead, but fully on her lips. Closing her eyes, she reached up a hand to his face, while he ignored his pain and reached up his sliced hand to her face. Returning his kiss, she ignored his blood dripping to her face, enjoying every moment in pure, uncontrolled bliss and happiness.


	5. A Dream and The Question

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

**The Next Night…**

She was lying in a forest. She was afraid. There was someone else in the clearing, the source of her fear. The person then drew dozens of kunai and senbons and threw them at her. She looked away. Something skidded across the ground. There was the sound of metal piercing flesh, but she nothing hit her. Drops of something warm splashed on her leg, then something cold. Opening her eyes, she looked at her leg. Blood. Tears. She looked up, and gasped in absolute horror. In front of her was Naruto, his face wet, his back and arms riddled with the kunai and senbons. His blood. His tears. She saw he was trembling in an effort to stand, even when he was already in his demon state.

"No…Naruto no…it can't be…this can't be happening…" she whispered in despair.

Naruto whispered back, hoarse and breathless, "I will give my life for you…I n-needed you t-to know…I-I'm sorry…H-Hinata…"

Then, in a voice so quiet she could barely hear, he said, "…I love you…"

With a small grunt of pain, he jerked and fell. She felt his heartbeat in her legs as he fell on her. She could feel his pulse slow, then with horrifying finality, beat once softly, then cease…

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

She awoke with a gasp in the bed she shared with Naruto.

"_What a nightmare…but it was also what I always wanted to hear…_" she thought.

A light to her left caught her eye. Turning, she saw her hand at Naruto's right temple. He hand was covered in violet chakra, while Naruto was emitting blue laced with orange.

"_What?_" she thought.

Pulling her hand away, she saw a tightly twined spiral of the blue and orange chakras connecting Naruto's temple to the back of her hand. From her hand were two spirals of violet chakra that didn't touch the cord, but did connect with his temple. Her strands and his were both spinning, his left and hers right.

"_My hand must have moved during the night, but what does it have to do with my dream?_" she wondered.

As she pulled her hand away some more, the chakras began to fade, once again plunging the room into moonlight. Sighing, she made herself comfortable once more before falling asleep again.

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

**The Following Day…**

"I wonder what Hinata's doing right now," Naruto asked aloud.

He was walking with his hands behind his head, having just finished a meeting with Lady Tsunade. Wincing, he moved his right hand under his gaze, thinking, "_Man, Sakura's kunai did a little number on my hand…Oh?_"

Ahead was a small fox, sniffing into an alley for food. Having a natural liking of the creatures, due to his carrying the Kyuubi no Kitsune and having a fox-like nature himself every now and then, he approached the fox with a smile. When it turned, he picked it up, placing it on his shoulder. Feeding the fox a scrap of food, he continued home.

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

Hinata had just opened the door to wait for Naruto when she heard something. Looking up, she saw Naruto feeding a fox before letting it go, saying, "Now don't eat it all once. Go on boy, go on."

Hinata leaned against the doorframe, sighing contentedly.

"_Figures,_" she thought, amused. "_With him being the Kitsune's vessel._"

Her smile fell a bit at that, but brightened again as Naruto laughed. Once again catching his contagious humor, she closed her as and looked away slightly, bringing a hand to her lips as she giggled softly. Turning, Naruto saw her shaking with her giggles.

Giving her a big, toothy grin, he asked, "Hey Hinata-chan. What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, just seeing you with that little kitsune put me in a good mood," she said as she turned into the house. She let out a small "Eep!" as she was picked up bridal style.

"N-N-Naruto!" she exclaimed, her stutter returning. "W-wh-what are you doing?"

He only laughed as he carried her to the couch, her arms in front of her, her gaze searching his face.

"Ano, Naruto? What are you doing?" she asked as he sat on the couch, and sat _her _on his lap. Hinata felt confused, but enjoyed how close she was to him, and happy that Naruto was the one who put her there.

"Hinata-chan, you remember that day in the market, when you kissed me?"

"Y-yes…" she answered, turning a light pink at the memory.

"I finally realized that you like me. I started to realize I like you. When you comforted me after Sakura found out about Kyuubi, I knew loved me, and I found that…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I found…that I love you, Hinata-hime," he finished softly, gazing at her with soft, hopeful sapphire eyes. She began to blush as tears filled her own lavender eyes. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her face in his shoulder.

Crying tears of unending joy, she said to him, "Thank you Naruto-kun. I've wanted to her you say that for so long…ever since I saw you at the Academy…"

Putting some space between them, he lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes.

"Hinata-hime, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked hopefully.

Her blush deepened, and she began to smile that small smile of hers.

She managed to stutter out, "Y-y-yes, N-N-Naruto..." before she fainted and fell against his chest.

He saw she was smiling, even while unconscious, as he realized why she had fainted and blushed so much when they were little. Smiling himself, he stroked her hair as he waited for his new girlfriend to recover.

/ - - - - - - - - - - /


	6. That Morning

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

Slowly, Hinata awoke. She tried to move until she realized someone had their arms around her and their chin on her head. Looking to her left, she saw an exposed chest, expanding and relaxing evenly. Looking elsewhere, she saw an orange sleeve. She smiled and blushed as she realized who was holding her.

"_I must have been out for a bit for him to fall asleep_," she thought.

"_Wait-Naruto asked me something, what was it?..He…he asked me…to be his girlfriend! And I…said…YES! I said yes! I'm Naruto's girlfriend! Naruto's!" _she shrieked in her mind.

Freeing an arm, she hugged him and kissed him on his neck as his chin was still on her head. Her movements caused the blond to wake. He leaned back to look at her.

"Hey Hinata. Forgive me but I tend to not remember things when I wake up. So what was your answer?"

"I said yes, Naruto-kun. I've always wanted to be your girlfriend."

He smiled warmly at her, still somewhat asleep. Hinata began to smell something, something she seemed to desperately crave.

She hugged Naruto, thinking, "_It's him…he's what I smell. He smells really, __really__ good…like mother's deserts."_

She smiled as she drank in his scent. Then the smell was gone, along with her desire for it. Hinata yawned, feeling inexplicably exhausted.

"Naruto-kun, I'm feeling tired. I think I'll turn in."

Looking up, she saw faint orange light from the windows.

"Some real sleep sounds good," he decided.

Getting up, Hinata headed to the shower while Naruto cleaned up their room a little. After both had showered, they went to the bed, wondering how the night might go. As Hinata began to drift, she felt a strong arm wrap around her stomach. She smiled, blushing, as she felt his arm against her skin. She closed her eyes and slept.

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

Naruto took his time waking up. He tried to move but something was keeping him down.

"_What's on top of me?"_ he wondered.

Looking at his arm, he saw a pale hand resting on it. Directing his gaze along the arm to the shoulder, he saw a splash of violet hair. Moving his gaze some more, he looked into a pale but pure face. He grinned, laughing softly. The gentle shaking of his laughter woke the girl sleeping on his chest.

/ - - - - - - - - - - /

The girl opened her eyes to see a laughing face.

"Hey Hinata…isn't it a little early to be doing this? After all, we haven't even been a couple for a whole day," joked the blond.

Hinata looked around, only to find herself laying on top of Naruto! She let out a quick "Eep!" and put her face in her hands, blushing cherry red. She felt Naruto take her under her arms and pull her up until they were face to face.

Placing a hand on her cheek, he told her, "Hinata, you don't need to be embarrassed about this or anything else. We love each other, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't mind waking up to see right where you are."

"D-d-do you really m-mean it, Naruto-kun?" she asked, still lying on top of him.

"Of course I do, Hina-hime," he assured her, his warm breath tickling her face.

Bringing his face close to hers, he kissed her softly. Breaking off, he looked out the window as Hinata laid her head on his chest, also looking out the window.

Wrapping an arm around Hinata, he sighed contentedly.

The scene out Naruto's window was Konohagakure, The Village Hidden in the Leaves, the surrounding forest, and the distant mountains. Adding to it all was the shine of a clear mid-summer dawn, the light turning everything in sight into a serene and peaceful form.

"It…it's beautiful…" she whispered.

After a few minutes of silence, he said, "I hear there's a party at one of the lakes today. Want to go?"

"Ok. It would be nice to see everyone again."

"Then you better get your swimsuit; they've already started!"

After they got ready, they walked outside. Turning his back to her, he said, "Let's get going! Hop on!"

"Ano…ar-are you sure Naruto-kun? I-I don't want to be a burden…"

Rolling his eyes, he walked over to her.

"Hinata, you are _not_ a burden to me. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are the one closest to my heart, no; you are the one _in _my heart. So don't think of yourself as a burden…Now, will you please get on?"

Nodding, she wrapped her arms around him as he held her legs. Leaning forward, she kissed him on the cheek, whispering, "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

Then he was off, leaping across rooftops towards the lake.


	7. PARTY TIME! Mourning time

"_Is that Naruto? And who's on his back?" _wondered Tenten. _"No it can't be…can it? It is! It's Hinata! And she's awake!"_

All of this was rapidly causing Tenten to have a headache. _"I wonder…"_

She watched as Naruto set Hinata down and, taking her by the hand, led her to the lake.

Getting in first, he told her, "It's a little cold at first, Hina-hime."

Hinata, who was already a faint pink from being carried, blushed as pink as a cherry blossom. She stepped in, shivering as the cold washed over her. She was putting her other foot in when the rock she was already standing on proved to be slippery. Her short "Eep!" drew everyone's attention as Naruto caught her, his arms holding her up by her back. He must not have realized everyone was watching, as he leaned down and kissed her. Hinata must have lost it, as her arms came up around his neck as she returned his kiss.

After a few seconds, she leaned back and Tenten was barely able to hear, "Arigato, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto smiled at her with caring eyes as he stood up and put her on her feet.

"Hey Naruto!" called Kiba. "Get over here! We've been wondering if you'd show."

Flashing a last smile at Hinata, he yelled back, "Hold on, will ya? I'm coming."

Tenten took this opportunity to call Hinata over. When she came over, Tenten complimented her on her choice of swimsuit, which was the same pale lavender as her eyes.

"A-arigato, Tenten-san," she said nervously, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Sooo…" began Tenten, eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Ano…N-nani?" asked Hinata.

"So what was that between you and knucklehead?"

"Oh, um…that…well…"

"Yes?"

"Well, um…yesterday you see…N-Naruto-kun asked me…" she started, blushing brightly and smiling, while still playing with her fingers.

"Go on. You know I won't let you leave until you do."

"Well he…he asked me to be his girlfriend…"

Squealing, Tenten turned towards Hinata, eyes wide with a big grin. "And?"

"And I said yes…and then I fainted…"

Tenten squealed excitedly, demanding Hinata tell her everything. As she did, there was more squealing to be heard from the girl who loved to know everything about everyone's relationships. As she finished, Hinata found her self caught in a crushing bear hug.

"I'm so happy for you, Hinata," said Tenten, unaware of Hinata's face turning blue.

"Ah…Ten…ten…can't…breathe…crushing…me…" she managed to get out.

"Oops! Sorry Hinata," she apologized as the violet haired girl caught her breath.

"It's fine Tenten. Just don't squeeze so hard next time," she answered.

With that she left and went to sit on one of the ledges in the water. Soon she was joined by Naruto, who never once stopped smiling as he talked with her.

As Hinata laid her head on the boy's shoulder, Tenten could not help but think, "_They look so cute together! He finally realized they belong together."_

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Hinata?" asked a concerned Naruto.

Y-yes, Naruto-kun," she answered.

They were standing at the gates of the Hyuuga Compound. She wanted to pay her respects to her family. He eased open the gate and fell into step behind her. As she went from room to room leaving various things on the desks or beds, she seemed to avoid a certain room. Assuming she had her reasons, he didn't call her on it. Both took slight notice of how their footfalls echoed.

* * *

"Hey Hinata."

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" she said, turning to him.

"I couldn't help but notice something," he ventured.

Her head tilted to the side, gazing at him quizzically.

"Well, you seem to be avoiding one of the rooms," he continued, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"I have? Which room is it?" she inquired.

"Well um…that big one down the hall," he finished, pointing.

She turned and walked towards it. It was a meeting room, where Hiashi had given her many stern lectures that always left her feeling depressed and that she was a useless failure. She felt a guilty relief knowing that she would never hear one again. She walked in, closely followed by her boyfriend.

Hinata looked around, a funny feeling in her mind. Then:

_Flash back_

"_Hinata, come here."_

"_Yes Father?"_

"_I have come to a decision. You are the heiress to the clan, and are old enough to be married," he told her._

"_Wh-what are you trying to say, father?" she asked._

"_I want you to meet your future husband, Rikino Kamate."_

"_WHAT!?" she yelled. "Father, I can't marry a man I just met! Besides…" she trailed off._

"_Besides what, daughter?" he demanded._

"_I…I already…love someone else…" she whispered._

"_And who is this person?" he questioned icily._

"_N-Naruto…Uzumaki…" she breathed._

"_Even more reason for you to marry Kamate-san. The Uzumaki boy will taint you, and I won't allow it."_

"_Don't…don't speak of him that way," she murmured, a single tear lining her face._

"_What did you say to me?!" he raged._

"_I…I said don't speak about Naruto that way," she answered firmly._

_He gave her a hard glare._

"_Nevertheless, you be married to Kamate," he stated, his tone daring her to argue._

"_NO! I won't marry a man I don't love!" she shouted._

_Kamate tried to diffuse the situation._

_Laying a hand on her shoulder, he said, "I'm sure you'll grow to like me in time."_

_He hugged her then._

_It was the last mistake he would ever make._

_Hinata snapped._

_She cried out as she was jolted with pain. Kamate tried to back away until Hinata seized his arms in an iron grip no one had ever seen. The men's eyes grew wide as they watched her canines stretch and sharpen into fangs. Kamate tried to break free as her muscle strength increased, causing her grip to become a vice. Her head dropped, her hair hiding her face._

"_Hinata?" asked Kamate._

_Her head snapped up, her eyes splotched with red fading into the lavender of her eyes. Instantly she drove him to the floor. She moved her face to his neck. She then bit him. Hard. Hinata began to swallow rapidly, making short work of him. When he was pale and drained of blood, she stood. Hinata turned towards Hiashi, her arms dangling at her sides. She licked some blood running from the corners of her mouth. In a blur she appeared behind him. Trapping his arms, she punctured his neck ever so slowly, just to cause him pain. He deserved to suffer. When she broke through his blood vessel, she drank at a leisurely pace, draining the blood from this man she hated, her own father._

_Savoring…every…last…drop…_

_She finished him soon, and watched as his dead white corpse fell._

_End flashback…_

Hinata had fallen to her knees, hands clutching her head, Naruto asking her what was wrong, if she was okay. As she was forced to remember in exact detail every death she caused, she threw her head back, hands curling at her sides, and voiced her emotional agony with a shrill, piercing scream. It was so loud Naruto had fallen onto his back, hands slammed over his ears, and yet it still pained him immensely. When he couldn't hear her scream, he looked and saw that she had collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably, her face between her arms. He sat up and moved next to her. Pulling her up, he held her close.

"What is it, Hina-hime?"

Her head still hanging, she stuttered, "I…I j-ju-just saw w-why m-my clan is g-gone…"

"Why? What happened?"

"M-m-me. I-I k-k-killed them all…"

"No way. There weren't any injuries on them."

"Th-that's because…I-I drank all their b-blood…."

"What do you mean?" he asked, not sure he wanted to hear her answer.

"Naruto-kun it means…it means I'm a vampire!"


	8. Sorrow

"_Vampire? She can't be…"_

This was the only thought going through the mind of a shocked Naruto.

Hinata continued to cry, despairing that her love would reject her.

Therefore, she was shocked when something soft and moist pressed against her cheek. Hardly daring to believe it, she looked up at him. He reached up a hand and wiped away her tears. She blinked a few times; still unable to believe he still loved her. He held her tighter, murmuring comforting words in her ear. She continued to cry silently, drawing shuddering breaths. Hinata gripped his shirt tightly, as if she would die if she let go. His hand rubbed her back, his fingertips brushing her spine. After a while, she stopped crying, but didn't let go of him, nor did she seem inclined to move. He started rocking her gently, and in the back of her mind, she was surprised when he began to quietly sing a lullaby in her ear:

_H__abataitara modorenai to itte_

_M__e__zashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora  
_

_K__anashimi wa mada oboerarezu_

_Setsu__nasa wa ima tsukami hajimeta  
A__nata e to idaku kono kanjou __mo _

_Ima kotoba ni kawatteku_

_ichi naru sekai no yume kara m__ezamete  
K__ono hane o hiroge tobi datsu  
__  
Habataitara modoranai to itte  
M__ezashita no wa shiroi shiroi ano kumo  
__T__suki nuketara mitsukaru to shitte  
__F__urikiru hodo aoi aoi ano sora  
__A__oi aoi ano sora  
__Aoi aoi ano sora_

_isou tsukita you na oto de sabireta furui mado wa kowareta  
__M__iakita kago wa hora sutete iku furikaeru koto wa mou nai_

_T__akanaru kodou ni kokyuu o azukete  
__Kono mado o kette tobitatsu __  
_

_K__akedashitara te ni dekiru to itte  
__I__zanau no wa tooi tooi ano koe  
__M__abushi sugita anata no te mo nigitte  
__M__otomeru hodo aoi aoi ano sora_

_O__chite iku to wakatte ita sore de mo hikari o oitsuzukete iku yo_

_H__abataitara modoranai to itte  
__S__agashita no wa shiroi shiroi ano kumo  
__T__sukinuketara mitsukaru to shitte  
__F__urikiru hodo aoi aoi ano sora  
_

_A__oi aoi ano sora  
_

_A__oi aoi ano sora_

She fell asleep soon after. Naruto looked down and saw this. Smiling, he kissed her forehead. He picked her up and headed home.

* * *

_**Day after…**_

Hinata lay on her side, curled up, on the bed. She hadn't moved or made a sound since they returned home.

It was midday.

Naruto was concerned. She hadn't eaten anything in that time, but that wasn't what worried him. What did was that she completely ignored him. Well almost. If he was leaning over her and speaking to her, she might remove her gaze from the wall to look at him out of the corner of her eyes. But only for a few moments. Her gaze would always travel to the wall in front of her.

_**Two Days…**_

In addition to his growing worry, he was also becoming depressed. She was still curled on the bed, and she looked at him less and less. She still wouldn't take any food. When he was in the room for some time, he would sit on the bed and run his hand through her hair. One of these times, he heard a scratching at his door. Leaving their room, he opened his front door. To his surprise, a little fox walked in. Upon closer examination, it was the very same fox from when he had asked Hinata to be his girlfriend. The fox walked into the front room and stopped. Turning, it looked at him oddly. After a few seconds, it walked into their bedroom, Naruto following. As he walked in, the fox jumped onto the bed and crawled into the space between Hinata's arms. As he was about to remove it, her hands moved around it and she brought her chin to her collar. He stared, unsure of what he just saw.

"_Did she really move?"_

Hesitantly, he went over and sat down on the bed, hoping not to disturb anything. The fox raised its head to look at him. Naruto stared back, wondering what it was thinking. He sighed, knowing it was pointless to wonder.

_**Three Days…**_

He couldn't take it anymore. Just seeing her lying there was too much for his heart. He decided it would be best if he left the apartment for a little while.

* * *

When he returned home, it was late in the evening. He almost dreaded walking into his room, knowing what he would most likely find. He reached out a hand for the door, but froze. His hand was shaking. Standing there, he forced his hand to be still, and open the door.

He almost wished he hadn't.

There she was, still curled up on the bed. It hurt him deeply to see her like this. Tears began to fall from his eyes. Walking over with shaky steps, he sat on the bed and pulled her to his chest, sitting between his legs. Burying his face in the back of her shoulder, he cried softly, letting his sorrow and feelings of loss run free.

She was still limp in his arms, her head hanging, but she did turn her eyes to look at his blonde hair when he spoke.

She listened as he choked out, "Please Hinata…come back…please… I don't want to lose you. Yo-you mean too much to me… I need you, I don't want to go back to…to not having someone there, not having someone to love… someone who loves me for the _real_ me, not for the me everyone sees…I…I just found you…I don't…want…to lose you…"

She could feel the steady river of tears staining her clothes. She did nothing as he fell onto his side, taking her with him. She let him cry into her shoulder, which he continued to do until he fell asleep. After a while, the hunger she felt since yesterday came back, stronger than ever. She knew where it came from. She knew she had to feed **soon**, or she might die. Although she didn't do anything before, she didn't want to be apart from Naruto. So, she eased her way out of his arms, careful not to wake him, and put on some more appropriate clothes than her night wear. Opening the window, she crouched on the frame, ready to jump. She looked over her shoulder at him, watching his troubled face.

Before she jumped down, she thought to him,

"_I'm sorry…"_


	9. Sorrow II

Naruto woke up, feeling cold.

"_Something's missing…"_

He looked and saw Hinata was gone. The window was also open. Quickly putting two and two together, he got dressed and was about to leap out the window when a small weight attached itself to him. Knowing it was the fox, he jumped.

* * *

They were after her.

They had already caught her once, giving her the fresh wounds she now carried.

Turning into an alley, she tried to lose them. Her heart was pounding, her legs burned, and her lungs were searing in pain, as if they were on fire. A wall appeared out of the darkness surrounding her.

"_No! A dead end!"_

Footsteps behind her made her turn. As the mob came closer, she backed up to the wall. As they came closer still, she slid down the wall to the ground, curling up to try to protect herself in her exhausted state. She whimpered softly as they began to surround her.

"_All this because I had to feed. They don't even know who I am."_

"Now monster, we're going to make sure you can't even start causing any trouble in our village! Got it?!"

They crowded her and began to beat her, knocking her around. She whimpered again as their attacks began to draw blood. She was too terrified to cry out as she felt one of her lower legs fracture. She began to feel strange as she sensed something unusual, something not there before.

The 'something' rapidly blazed, spiking into an agonizing fury and a murderous intent felt by all nearby, seeming to call for blood. The Konoha mob moved away and looked around. Someone shouted,

"It's her! Just kill her!"

The man who had spoken ran towards her, a jagged piece of metal in his hands. She waited for it to pierce her. She heard a ripple of air, then a fist connecting dead on with a face. Hard. She looked up to see a crouched shadow, his fist crossing in front of his body from throwing the punch. She regarded the person, who she knew was a male, in curiosity and fear, fear that he only wanted to beat her himself. The man stood, swaying casually as he did. She saw the person's head turn to look at her over his shoulder. His eyes opened, revealing familiar red irises and slit pupils. For a moment, she was afraid he was angry at her. Then his eyes widened upon seeing her in her condition, his pupils stretching even thinner than they were. Hinata began to feel slightly ill as the fury and murderous intent spiked even higher. Eyes narrowed, he looked away from her and to the mob. He walked forward, leaving the shadows partially. They could now see his claws, fangs, whisker marks, and eyes. Then both she and the mob noticed the form by his side. It was a large fox, its back coming up to the middle of the man's thigh.

"_Is that the same fox…?"_

"Demon! What do you want here?"

Hands clenched into fist, there was a growl, low and menacing, like an animal.

"Protecting someone precious to me," was the reply.

"How can you protect that _thing_?! Do you know what it can do?"

Lips pulled back in a fierce snarl, the man walked a few more steps forward.

"Shut up," he snapped at them.

Ignored by all but Hinata, the fox went back to her. She looked at it when it rubbed its head against her shoulder. It licked her face, earning it some more staring from her.

"Is…is that _Naruto?!_ Naruto _Uzumaki?!_" someone piped up.

The tense and snarling person standing in front of them was indeed Naruto Uzumaki. Backing away from them, he knelt by Hinata. Moving to pick her up, his hands jerked as he felt the blood pooling beneath her. Picking her up this time, he gently pulled her close to him. Thinking this was a good time to attack, some of the villagers charged. They met a quick end at the fox's teeth and claws. Standing, he walked back towards them. Looking down, he warned,

"If any of you do anything to make her life like the living hell mine was…"

"I'll kill you," he finished, death in his eyes.

With that final proclamation, he jumped over the mob and into the street. As he walked, Naruto was careful not jostle her injured leg too much. She turned her face into his jacket, holding onto him weakly at first, then with a vice grip. He bent his head down as he walked, touching his forehead to hers.

* * *

She was unconscious when they got back, and the fox back to normal size. He laid her on the couch, since the door to their room was shut, and he didn't want to injure her leg any further. As he set her down, she groaned in pain. Trying not to think about it, he unzipped her jacket and eased it off her body. He became worried when he saw how many wounds she had. He knew he couldn't do medical ninjutsu.

"_Kyuubi…can you help me with this?"_

"**Oh no, I'll just let your first mate, whom I've been waiting a long time for, bleed and die. WHAT DO YOU THINK, BRAT?! Of course I can help! Just put out your hands and move them where her injuries are."**

He did so. A red chakra appeared, flowing around his hands.

"_Wait, won't this burn her?!"_

"**Just do it kid. It only burns when the cloak forms. Which only happens when you get angry."**

"_Fine."_

As he held his hands over her wounds, she began to shake slightly. But her wounds were healing. Each time he moved on from a particularly bad one, she would let out a sigh. Finally, all he had left was her fractured lower leg. As he moved his hands over, Hinata's face pinched up a little in discomfort, and her shaking increased a bit.

"_Kyuubi?"_

"**Fine. Just touch her forehead and let me see."**

Naruto hesitantly put his first two fingers to her forehead. He felt Kyuubi extend a chakra tendril and almost pulled back before he remembered it wasn't enough to harm her. When he was done, Naruto asked,

"_Well?"_

**(Sigh) "Well, you'll have to leave a hand on her head while healing her leg. Apparently using my chakra to heal her starts to affect her mind. I reversed the damage done while healing the other injuries. Now you need to leave a hand there so I can prevent anything happening while I fix her leg."**

"_Ok."_

He left one hand at her forehead while moving the other back to her leg. After about another minute, Kyuubi pronounced her leg healed. Naruto sighed in relief. He carried her to their bed and was about to leave when he felt a light tug on his hand. Looking back, he saw his hand held by Hinata, who was looking at him in that half awake way.

"Na…Naruto…kun?" she asked softly, her voice barely reaching his ears.

"Yeah Hina-chan?"

"P-please stay…d-don't go…" she said, her eyes pleading with him, afraid of something.

He nodded slowly, not sure what was going on. But all he felt he needed to know was that she wanted him by her side, which of course he didn't mind at all. What surprised him however was that as soon he lay down in the bed, she hugged him tightly, pulling him to her. He blinked a few times, looking at her. He noticed she was shaking and her face had traces of fear in it. Slipping an arm under her, he flipped onto his back, causing her to be on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her back, which seemed to calm her down, as she stopped shaking. She snuggled into his chest, making only a happy sounding moan. Naruto mentally shrugged off the strange behavior.

Hinata was happy when she felt his arms around her. He made her feel safe and secure. She had been truly frightened that night. But what neither of them knew would be the consequences that would follow.

* * *

_**Outside Konoha**_

Two men stood on a hill side, looking over the village. One spoke to the other,

"Well Yoru? This the place?"

"Hai."


	10. Night

Hinata awoke, feeling a strange demand within her. She couldn't place it.

Then it hit her.

This feeling, she'd experienced it before. She moved her upper body off of Naruto, one hand over her mouth, the other on his chest, keeping her face away from him. She was too worried to notice the position she was in, which had she been aware, would have given her a massive blush and probably faint.

"_No, no, no! I can't do this! I can't!"_

* * *

Naruto slowly woke when he felt something moving on him. He cast his eyes to the side. It was still dark out. His eyes then directed themselves to look above him. Hinata was there, one hand over her mouth as she looked away, keeping her upper body off him with the other. He knew something was wrong by the look in her eyes.

"Hi-Hinata...Wh-what's wrong?" he asked.

"Naruto-kun! I…I w-was…its j-just…"

She bowed her head in pain then, the hand previously over her mouth on her stomach.

"Hinata?! What's wrong?" he asked, worried for her health.

"I…I…unnhh…it hurts…"

His mind clicked then. She hadn't gone out earlier to leave him. And she had lost a moderate amount of blood when he found her. And given her recent change…

"_She's hungry," _he realized.

Smiling in understanding, he reached for the arm she was using to hold herself up. He moved her arm, easing her back down.

"Hinata. I know what you need. I understand. It's alright with me."

She could only get out,

"I-I can't…I..don't want to hurt you…"

He took her chin in his hand and made her look at him. Hoping he didn't sound too commanding or anything, he firmly told her,

"Hinata, I love you and hate to see you in pain. You say you don't want to hurt me, but it hurts me more to see you like this. So please, just go ahead."

He embraced her, pressing her face close to his neck. He could her breath on his neck, ragged and uneven as she was gasping for breath. Her face inched closer, her eyes closing.

"Arigato…Naruto-kun…"

He hissed in pain as she broke his skin with her fangs, but he pressed her face down a little more, to make sure she didn't stop because of him. As she drank his blood, he absentmindedly played with her hair and rubbed her back with his other hand. A few seconds later her head came up a bit, her fangs leaving his neck. She felt darkness creeping in as she lay her head on his shoulder. Through half lidded eyes, she saw some blood left from where she bit him. Acting on instinct, she moved her face slightly and ran her tongue over the blood, sealing the wound as she did so. Sleep swiftly reclaimed her. Naruto looked down in mild shock when he felt Hinata's tongue brush his neck. But she was already asleep. Just then he also felt sleep calling him back. He quickly answered.

* * *

Inside Hinata's mind, she was fighting herself. Her father had always been harsh with her in training, but to be attacked by the villagers was something she never expected. It frightened her. It frightened her a lot. Some part of her mind was rising up, trying to force the older Hinata to the back of her mind. The older Hinata knew she was going to lose, as she also didn't want to face the possibility of being attacked like that again. As she retreated, she tried to impress upon this new, frightened Hinata one thing:

_Trust Naruto._

* * *

_**The Konoha Streets…**_

The two men were walking down a street, looking for a certain residence.

"You sure we're going the right way, Yoru?"

"Stop questioning me. We'll find them," he snapped.

"Alright alright, fine. Sheesh, have some patience."


	11. Peaceful Days

Hinata was still asleep and dreaming when her hand began to search for something on her back. Her questing fingers finally found another person's hand. She gripped it lightly, moving it closer to her face. She curled her fingers around the hand and into the palm. The 'captured' hand moved around some, searching for the rest of the hand holding it. The fingers brushed soft skin, pausing as they did. It then entwined itself with her hand, the index finger continuing to move against the back of it. A small smile spread across the sleeping girl's face, but swapped with a slight frown when the person's other hand also left her back. But then the hand found its way to her neck, and her smile returned. When all motion but breathing had stopped, Hinata quietly murmured, "Naruto-kun…"

* * *

Naruto once again woke first, feeling slightly weak.

"_Oh yeah. I remember. Hinata was in pain from blood hunger so I let her have mine. I wonder how she'll take that…"_

He vaguely remembered his hands moving in his sleep. He looked to see one of his hands curved around Hinata's neck, the other entwined with her hand. She was smiling that small smile he loved, his mind slightly hazy from his feelings for her. He merely watched her sleep, watching the rise and fall of her body as she breathed, his love for her making him smile. He knew he would most likely never be able to go back to sleeping without her by his side, even on missions. She was special to him. She stirred, yawning. He felt his mind single out every detail of her face as she yawned in a way that seemed only possible for a little child of three, yet it seemed right on her anyway. She tried to stretch when she felt her hand meet with resistance. She then looked up at Naruto, who placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"Ohayo (Morning), Hina-hime."

She moved towards his face, her eyes closing, where she lightly licked his cheek with the tip of her tongue. Naruto was surprised at the action.

"_Okay. THAT's different. She doesn't seem like the type to do that…"_

He stared at her, and then laughed gently. She smiled, her eyes closing again. She hugged him with her free arm, once more resting her head on his chest. He started playing with her hair with his free hand, marveling at how it felt almost like air in his hands.

"_I think I'll take her to the park today."_

* * *

Naruto was leaning back against a tree, Hinata in his lap. Without thinking, he drew his knees up, moving her against his chest as he did so. Then he bent down over her and wrapped his arms around his knees, forming a cage of sorts about her. When Hinata turned her head "up" to look at him, he kissed her cheek. She giggled, enjoying the moment. She nuzzled his neck, making him shiver a little from the contact. She brought a hand up and ran her fingers back along each of his whisker marks, his face coloring.

Since the Kyuubi was sealed into him when he was not even a day old, it had plenty of time to unintentionally alter his mind's reactions to certain situations that had never shown up before. Such as someone doing exactly what Hinata was doing. He could feel his heartbeat pick up, his breathing becoming a little more labored. His body was urging him to claim her, take away what was hers until she chose to loose it. He resisted, knowing he couldn't do that to her, only when she was ready.

"_But it's becoming stronger…and she just won't stop…"_

"**Just do it. You know deep down you want to. Besides, I wouldn't mind a little entertainment…"**

'_ERO-KITSUNE-BAKA (STUPID PERVY FOX)! SHUT IT! I'm NOT doing that to Hinata-chan!' _

"Hey you two! Haven't seen you around in a while!" someone called.

Naruto's head snapped up, unfortunately causing Hinata's hand to brush _all three_ of his whiskers, making the feelings surge even more for a moment. His eyes were wide, his chest slightly heaving as he looked at their visitor.

"Oh hey Kiba, Akamaru," he answered somewhat unsteady.

"_Thank Kami he showed up when he did…"_

Kiba sniffed the air, and then looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"Hey man, you alright? Your scent seems a little…uh…_off_."

"Oh I'm fine…just give me a minute," he mumbled that last part to himself. He glanced at Hinata, then double-checked. She seemed apprehensive, even slightly _fearful_ of Kiba. He frowned for a moment, then felt that little fox pop up on his head. Naruto looked up and assumed it was looking at Akamaru from the direction its nose pointed. Kiba was staring at them with a sort of 'o.0' expression.

"So…from the looks of things…are you two going out?" came the question.

"Hehe…yes actually, we are. It's been great!"

They continued in that manner for a few more minutes, as Hinata took the fox off Naruto's head and petted its fur. Then Kiba ruined the moment with his next sentence:

"You better take care of her, Naruto. If you hurt Hinata in anyway I'll make you regret it, got that?"

"_**BIG mistake, dog-boy. You just pissed him off," **_the Kyuubi thought to himself.

Naruto glared at Kiba then, none too happy with the thought that he would hurt Hinata. It angered him enough that he lost control over his killing intent and he subconsciously started tapping into the Kyuubi's power. Fortunately Hinata's shifting from being exposed to the uncomfortable chakra brought him back to reality, allowing him to focus the power into his right hand, which he held away from his body. The extra power being sent there resulted in longer-than-normal claws and the grass and leaves moving away from his hand.

"I would _**never **_purposely hurt Hinata-chan, Kiba. Remember that, and don't bring it up again," he growled out.

The K.I. and Kyuubi chakra freaked out the poor Inuzuka, who turned tail and fled. At that moment Shino stepped around a tree.

"I was going to support Kiba, but I see that that shall not be necessary," he intoned before leaving.

Naruto sweat-dropped at this, but shrugged it off as unimportant. He closed his eyes and relaxed. However he quickly felt Hinata's weight removed from him followed rapidly by several blows from what was most likely a broom. He started growling to himself before he opened his eyes, allowing Kyuubi's chakra to flow normally, enhancing his scowl. He looked around to see a middle-aged man in blue holding the offending broom, while standing in front of Hinata.

"And just what do you think you're doing, _demon_, touching Ms. Hyuuga? The last thing she needs is your evil taint! Stay away from her if you know what's good for ya!"

"_**Oh the poor, insolent fool. He really shouldn't have done that. Bad idea to mess with a kitsune's relationship, especially since we demon kitsunes only take one mate," **_thought Kyuubi.

Now the man's words didn't help Naruto's mood at all. He was royally pissed. This is due to several reasons: A) He finally had found a girl who liked him for who he was. B) She accepted the fact that he was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. C) He liked her, no, LOVED her in return. D) As mentioned, Kyuubi had altered his mind regarding certain things, and he was running with that power now. And E) this man was trying to take Hinata-chan away from him. _His_ Hinata-chan!

In response, his growling became louder and also deeper, causing the man to flinch slightly. Before anything else happened, the man cried out and grabbed his right arm as he dropped the broom, unable to stop Hinata from skipping past him. She went over to Naruto and wrapped her arms around him, which he gently responded to in kind. She sighed as the rumbling in his chest from his growls relaxed her body. Naruto looked up at the man, who seemed ready to separate them again.

Glaring, he said, "You **ever** get between me and Hinata-chan again…you won't like what I'll do to you. Now go."

The man seemed to marshal some courage, but as he opened his mouth, Naruto snarled at him, "Beat it!"

So he did the wise thing and fled, planning to report this to Tsunade. ( _Must not pay attention to politics or whatever, right?_)

Naruto began to quiet down as the man left. Looking around, he said, "Come on Hinata-chan. Let's go somewhere a little more private."

* * *

Tenten had been looking for something to do, as her team wasn't getting any missions soon, due to the recent loss of Neji. She shed a few tears at that. She had been attracted to him. His death had prevented her from training, which was why she was here today.

It was one a several special parks in Konoha, that were designed as something other than a playground. This one happened to be made to resemble the forest outside the village walls. It was decently large and contained several large ponds that could almost be called lakes. There were also numerous small clearings throughout.

Tenten had chosen a path at random and followed it deeper into the trees. Soon, she was so far in it was hard to tell she was in Konoha anymore. She was walking down the path when she heard a soft sound coupled with a bit of odd chakra off to right. Deciding to investigate, she went between the trees until she came across a small clearing. Off to the right was smaller pond with a small stream feeding it. Over to the left was a slight incline with a tree at its height. Lying on this incline was, surprisingly, Hinata and Naruto. The two were lying on their sides facing each other. Hinata was resting her head on Naruto's right arm and had her arms wrapped around him. Naruto had his left arm around Hinata's back and was touching his forehead to hers.

'_Yup. I was right, they look good together,' _thought Tenten.

It was then she remembered the noise and chakra that had drawn her here in the first place. Listening, she found it was louder and seemed to be a growl, but it lacked any menace or aggression, resulting in the sound being similar to an animal's purring. Her second surprise was that the growl/pur and the chakra seemed to flow from Naruto. He seemed to radiate peace and serenity, which considering how he usually acted, was unusual.

It was a moment when Tenten was still in thought when Hinata woke up, only to tilt her face to Naruto's chin and out of her view. After that she sat up and looked around. When she saw Tenten she stiffened.

'_Odd. Why is she all tense? Is she shy about public affection?' _pondered Tenten.

Naruto, who had now subconsciously realized he could no longer feel Hinata, started to actually growl. The two kunoichi looked at him as his lips pulled up, showing his sharper-than-normal canines (not Kyuubi canines). After a few moments, he started to make another sound, almost like a whine to Tenten's ears. He seemed to be caught in a nightmare, though why he sounded like an animal was beyond her. Hinata reached a hand to his shoulder, concern written on her face. He flinched slightly, and then slowly opened his eyes. Naruto gradually looked to Hinata's face, breaking into a soft, genuine smile. Sitting up, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. She returned the gesture easily, and then laid her head back on his shoulder, facing his neck. He looked around and spotted Tenten, who still hadn't moved from spot on the edge of the clearing.

"Hey Tenten! How'd you find us?" he asked jovially.

She gave him a look, and replied, "I was walking when I heard something and felt an odd sort of chakra. I followed it, and find you growling and radiating that chakra in your sleep? What's up with that?"

"I… I was? Y-you sure?" he asked.


End file.
